Normans Cay to Staniel Cay

I am actually going to back up and post some photos taken of Christmas at Nassau that I downloaded from the small camera.

 

Clay and Rita-Kay at Christmas 2010 in Nassau

 

Bob and Penny Christmas 2010 in Nassau

 

Goofy Bob thought the grill pan cover I gave him made a great "cooking helmet."

After making two turkeys this year, Bob decided to make a standing rib roast for our Christmas dinner.

 

It was a beautiful roast.

 

Clay and Rita-Kay exchanging gifts.

 

Leaving the dock in Nassau at sunrise. That is the 150 foot yacht - the Maritani X - that we were docked next to in the background.

We made it Staniel Cay from Normans Cay by early afternoon and found our favorite anchorage off the cottages of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club pretty full, so we anchored across from the Yacht club to the East behind a large rock and near the famous Thunderball Grotto where some of the Bond “Thunderball” movie was filmed.

 

Rock off Staniel where we anchored.

At low tide we have less than 2 feet under the keel, but that is fine. Our position is a good one for watching the mega-yachts come into the yacht club for the end of year festivities. First activity is the famous Pirate Party on the 29th, next day is a free cook-out for islanders and boaters alike where they have an auction prior to the cook-out. The 31st there is a regatta of the two A class boats owned by the island, Lady Muriel and Tida Wave. Cruisers sign up to participate and get to ride out on the prys and are otherwise known as “board meat.” The sails are so much larger than the boats, people have to sit on these boards and hang out over the side to provide balance, people hang off the sides on boards to keep the boat upright when tacking. If you fall off, a chase boat has to collect you and get you back on the boat or it is disqualified.

There is a New Years Eve Party at the Yacht club followed by fireworks at midnight. On New Years Day, there is then a cruisers regatta.

We went to the Pirate Party again this year and had our usual blast. This year we were interviewed by a local TV station out of Nassau with our boat parrot we call Polly. From a distance, because the parrot is mechanical, we get a lot of strange looks as its movements are pretty real looking. It has fooled a few folks until they get us close.

 

Sarah, Penny, and our boat parrot, Polly at the Pirate Party

I donated a couple of pairs of earrings for the auction to raise money for the regatta, but restrained myself and did not purchase any items this year and I could have purchased 4 Bond movies for $20!

 

One of the week's events is the "long drive contest" off the dock. This guy was still in costume from the night before - partly anyway!

The day of New Year’s Eve, we decided to move the boat behind the neighboring island to get protected from the wind and change the scenery. We found 4 mega-yachts anchored in that anchorage, large sport fish boat, and a large number of cruisers, both sail and power. This island is uninhabited except for a group of pigs that are famous for their swimming capability. They will swim out to dinghies and collect food scraps. With this large number of boats, I don’t think they are hungry!

 

Clay and Rita-Kay joined us for New Years Eve.

Sunday, we took the dinghy out to Sandy Cay and had our first lazy day here lying on a beach. I never really feel like we have arrived until we do that. We took our umbrella, beach chairs, lunch, and books with us. Wayne off My Sharona and Paul off Independence showed up with their kite to practice wind surfing. Paul is learning how with Wayne.

 

Bob helping Wayne and Paul take the kite down.

 

Our little piece of paradise!

 

That evening, we had a "sunset" watch party on the beach with friends from My Sharona, Independence, Scooter, Different Drummer among others that later turned into a bonfire on the beach.

 

The sunset was worth the wait.

Monday we were getting ready to move back over closer to Staniel and our friends on Carleigh, when Bob started the engines and I noticed no water was coming out as it is supposed to. Bob shut the engines and went down to troubleshoot. He determined that the water pump on the engine needed a new impeller – boats just eat those things – and replaced that and a leaking seal and got us up and running again. By then it was time for lunch, so we had lunch then proceeded to leave again and found that the anchor windlass was not working. So, Bob got out his tools and went to work on it and we finally got it working and moved the boat. It seemed like Bob could not get a break on Monday.

Tuesday, Rita-Kay and Clay asked us to go on their boat over to Blackpoint Settlement on a neighboring island for lunch and a visit to the best darn Laundromat (although it is spelled “Laundermat” on the front of the building, and “Laundramat” on the sign by the dinghy dock). All machines work and the place is immaculate. We had lunch at Lorainne’s Café. Lorainne provides internet for cruisers and great lunches and dinners. She had a rather late in life “surprise” last year when Joshua was born. He is the happiest child I think I have ever seen. Always great to stop and see Lorainne and her family. We returned back to Staniel and were happy to see our boat still where we left her!

 

Bob and Clay on Carleigh

 

Returning to Pretty Penny

Our friends on My Sharona, Independence, and Different Drummer, all headed south toward George Town today. A front is coming through tomorrow and Friday and they wanted to move ahead of the storm as My Sharona has a guest arriving on the 9th in George Town. We moved into the bight south of the little Staniel Cay airport where we will be better protected from the winds. This storm will have some squalls with it too.

We put the dinghy down and headed back to the north side of the island with some Dr. Pepper for our friend Butch on the island, and with the two boxes of school books to deliver to the school from the Bahamas Project run by The Seven Seas Cruising Organization. We are also having trouble with our Bahamian cell phone, so stopped at the Batelco office to find out why we could call people, but we could not receive calls. The nice lady, also named Penelope who works at the office, was able to get us all fixed up.

 

Delivering books to the Staniel Cay School

 

One of the small classes. There are only 12 children enrolled this year divided into 3 groups by age. A couple serve as the teachers of the school. Once these students reach high school age, they will go to Nassau to attend high school.

 

Our friend Sarah that was my inspiration for making jewelry. Sarah paints sea beans and incorporates them into jewelry. Some of her painted pieces of driftwood hand above the display case. She encorporates a lot of sea themes, including mermaids, into her work. Her work is being displayed at a new little restaurant on the beach at Staniel.

 

Bob and I at Taste and Sea, the new beach restaurant on Staniel.

 

Sunset off Staniel - Good Night!